URGING THE GOVERNOR'S COORDINATOR ON HOMELESSNESS AND THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU TO COME TOGETHER AND PRIORITIZE THEIR HOMELESSNESS EFFORTS IN THE AREA SURROUNDING THE HAWAI‘I CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY CENTER BY CONVENING A TASK FORCE.

REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ENACT LEGISLATION REMOVING CANNABIS FROM THE FEDERAL CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT AND FACILITATE THE FULL SPECTRUM OF PRIVATE BANKING SERVICES FOR CANNABIS-RELATED BUSINESS.

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM AND COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENTS TO COLLECT INFORMATION FROM ASSOCIATIONS OF APARTMENT OWNERS AND ASSOCIATIONS OF CONDOMINIUM OWNERS THAT HAVE OWNERS WHO RENT THEIR UNITS AS TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS AND MAKE THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO ASSOCIATION MEMBERS AND UNIT OWNERS.

URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND THE COMMISSIONER OF SECURITIES TO BE NOTIFIED OF AND AUTHORIZED TO ATTEND ANY MEETING AT WHICH PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ARE SUBJECT TO A BROKER-DEALER OFFERING BROKERAGE SERVICES TO THOSE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES.

URGING THE CONVENING OF A TASK FORCE TO EVALUATE AND IDENTIFY POTENTIAL SOURCES AND MEANS OF FUNDING AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR AND HELP MAINTAIN THE HAWAII WILDLIFE CENTER FACILITY AND HAWAII'S ENDANGERED WILDLIFE.

REQUESTING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TO MONITOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION MANDATES FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF BACKUP POWER GENERATORS FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS PROVIDERS AND COLLECT AND PUBLISH DATA ON CELLULAR TOWER BACKUP CAPACITY.

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, TO WORK WITH THE FAMILY REUNIFICATION WORKING GROUP AND OTHER COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO DEVELOP A PLAN TO ESTABLISH VISITATION CENTERS AT ALL STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AND JAILS.

REQUESTING THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO EXAMINE HOW A STATEWIDE USE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ASSESSMENTS AND RESPONSE PROTOCOLS BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL CAN HELP TO STRENGTHEN THE STATE'S OVERALL RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

URGING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY TO MAINTAIN THE ORIGINAL TIMELINE TO INTRODUCE HARRIET TUBMAN AND OTHER FEMALE AND CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS ONTO UNITED STATES CURRENCY BY 2020 TO CELEBRATE ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE.

REQUESTING A TASK FORCE TO REVIEW AND REPORT ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FAIR AND PROPORTIONAL FINES FOR CERTAIN PENALTIES IN HAWAII TO ENSURE A FAIR AND MEANINGFUL DETERRENT TO ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR FOR INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE ECONOMIC SPECTRUM.

URGING THE STATE AND EACH COUNTY TO ADOPT THE GLOBAL PACT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT TO ACHIEVE THE UNITED NATIONS PARIS AGREEMENT AND THE 2030 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA, AND TO SPECIFICALLY ADOPT THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS, NUMBERS 13 THROUGH 17.

REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ENACT LEGISLATION REMOVING CANNABIS FROM THE FEDERAL CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT AND FACILITATE THE FULL SPECTRUM OF PRIVATE BANKING SERVICES FOR CANNABIS-RELATED BUSINESS.

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM AND COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENTS TO COLLECT INFORMATION FROM ASSOCIATIONS OF APARTMENT OWNERS AND ASSOCIATIONS OF CONDOMINIUM OWNERS THAT HAVE OWNERS WHO RENT THEIR UNITS AS TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS AND MAKE THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO ASSOCIATION MEMBERS AND UNIT OWNERS.

URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO EVALUATE AND IDENTIFY POTENTIAL SOURCES AND MEANS OF FUNDING AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR AND HELP MAINTAIN THE HAWAII WILDLIFE CENTER FACILITY AND HAWAII'S ENDANGERED WILDLIFE.

REQUESTING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TO MONITOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION MANDATES FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF BACKUP POWER GENERATORS FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS PROVIDERS AND COLLECT AND PUBLISH DATA ON CELLULAR TOWER BACKUP CAPACITY.

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, TO WORK WITH THE FAMILY REUNIFICATION WORKING GROUP AND OTHER COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO DEVELOP A PLAN TO ESTABLISH VISITATION CENTERS AT ALL STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AND JAILS.

REQUESTING THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO EXAMINE HOW A STATEWIDE USE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ASSESSMENTS AND RESPONSE PROTOCOLS BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL CAN HELP TO STRENGTHEN THE STATE'S OVERALL RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

URGING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY TO MAINTAIN THE ORIGINAL TIMELINE TO INTRODUCE HARRIET TUBMAN AND OTHER FEMALE AND CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS ONTO UNITED STATES CURRENCY BY 2020 TO CELEBRATE ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE.

REQUESTING A TASK FORCE TO REVIEW AND REPORT ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FAIR AND PROPORTIONAL FINES FOR CERTAIN PENALTIES IN HAWAII TO ENSURE A FAIR AND MEANINGFUL DETERRENT TO ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR FOR INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE ECONOMIC SPECTRUM.

URGING THE STATE AND EACH COUNTY TO ADOPT THE GLOBAL PACT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT TO ACHIEVE THE UNITED NATIONS PARIS AGREEMENT AND THE 2030 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA, AND TO SPECIFICALLY ADOPT THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS, NUMBERS 13 THROUGH 17.

REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION TO ELIMINATE ITS BLOOD DONOR DEFERRAL POLICY ON THE COLLECTION OF BLOOD AND BLOOD COMPONENTS FROM MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN.

State Representative Gregg Takayama is proud to serve District 34, consisting of the Pearl City, Waimalu, and Pacific Palisades communities, where he has lived for several decades with his wife Linda Chu Takayama and raised their three daughters.

Rep. Takayama is a product of the public school system and a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a degree in journalism. He is a former award-winning journalist who worked at KHON-TV as a news reporter for eight years.
Rep. Takayama also served on the staffs of U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye and then-Lt. Governor Ben Cayetano. He was spokesman for UH Manoa for six years until he was elected to the State House in 2012.
He currently serves as Chair of the House Public Safety, Veterans, &Military Affairs Committee, which oversees Hawaii's correctional system, State emergency services, armed services as well as veterans. His priority has been to improve public safety by modernizing correctional facilities and policies to better rehabilitate inmates. Rep. Takayama is also a member of the Judiciary and Intrastate Commerce committees.
He also serves as Co-Chair of the Legislature's Kupuna Caucus, which advances legislation important to senior citizens.

Taking care of our Kupuna

by Kirstin Downey

The state Department of Public Safety may soon be subject to more
effective public scrutiny, improved conditions in the jails for
inmates and people suspected of crimes and see much-needed pre-
sentencing reforms.
View full articleApril 16, 2019

Taking care of our Kupuna

HONOLULU (KHON2) - From housing to caregiving, the Kupuna Caucus was
formed to advance specific goals for our seniors and to enact
legislation to implement those needs. State Representative Gregg
Takayama joined us in studio to talk about a couple of bills in
legislation to support our seniors.
View full articleApril 15, 2019

“This will be a great help for recently incarcerated women to look their best
when applying for and working at a new job,” said Rep. Takayama, chair
of the House Public Safety, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee. "I want
to thank everyone for their compassion and generosity to help these women,
especially the members of the Women’s Legislative Caucus."
View full articleApril 10, 2019

Plans to relieve overcrowding in Hawaii's jails are in motion

State sharing how it will address the problem of overcrowded jails
View full articleApril 1, 2019

Editorial: Pursue purchase of federal jail - Honolulu Star Advertiser

The state is pursuing plans to build a new jail. A 280-page environmental
impact statement recommended building a new facility on the animal quarantine
station site in Halawa, and Gov. David Ige wants $5 million to figure out
how to finance it. The estimated cost of construction is about $525 million.

Or, as state Rep. Gregg Takayama has proposed, the state could try to buy
the FDC. If the federal Bureau of Prisons is amenable, it could be a better
solution, and less expensive than the financial and political minefield of
a major state construction project.

Takayama introduced House Bill 1177, which would put money on the table to
convince the feds that the state is serious about buying the facility. The
current administration, he noted, has “not said no.”
View full articleMarch 24, 2019

Volcanic Ash: Hawaii deal for federal jail could be win-win solution

by David Shapiro

We so seldom see fresh ideas from local government that it’s a shame when a
good one goes to waste.

Yet that seems the case with Rep. Gregg Takayama’s bill to explore state
purchase of the underused Federal Detention Center near the airport to
replace the decrepit Oahu Community Correctional Center in Kalihi.

The measure sailed unanimously through the House and had the support of
the Ige administration and Oahu Democratic Party but was abruptly killed
in Senate committee with little explanation.
View full articleMarch 21, 2019

Overcrowded jails in Hawaii is a problem that has at least one State lawmaker claims the legislature this session is doing nothing about.
Representative Gregg Takayama fears more riots like last week's case at the Maui Community Correctional Facility will continue to happen if nothing gets done to reduce the state's prison population.
The House passed two bills this session that could've addressed the issue according to Takayama but both were shot down by the Senate this week.

March 12, 2019

Hawaii immigrant sanctuary bill dies in state Legislature.

March 12, 2019
Associated Press
A bill that would have made Hawaii the third so-called sanctuary state for immigrants
who are in the U.S. illegally has died at the state Legislature.

The state Senate passed the bill and sent it to the House. But Rep. Gregg Takayama,
the chairman of the House Public Safety Committee, said Tuesday he won’t be hearing
it in his committee. That effectively kills the bill.

Takayama said that because most law enforcement occurs at the county level, he
believes it would be more appropriate for the counties and not the state to consider
creating sanctuaries. He noted local jurisdictions on the mainland have done so.
View full articleView PDF file

March 4, 2019

The Roadblocks Are Rising For Much-Touted Bail Reform:
Despite passing the Hawaii House with unanimous support,
the bill may face a rockier time in the Senate.

by Kirstin Downey

. . . In an interview, [Rep. Gregg] Takayama said that holding people in jail who are “obviously not dangerous to the community” is costing Hawaii millions of dollars a year, at an average cost of $180 per inmate per night, money that he thinks could be better spent elsewhere.

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC

Takayama said he isn’t sure what will happen with the legislation but he hopes it will pass.

“I think we have talked about bail reform for far too long to put it on a back burner now,” he said.
View full article

March 4, 2019

Here’s What’s Not Passing The Hawaii Legislature This Year

by Kirstin Downey

Only about 10 percent of bills usually pass, however, and that means most
measures won’t make it this year — although they do carry over to the 2020 session. It’s even possible some bills may be resurrected before session ends May 2.

For now, here’s a rundown of important legislation that did not make the cut.
View full article

February 22, 2019

Hawaii Could Really Use This Federal Prison That Has Plenty Of Empty Cells

State Rep. Gregg Takayama, chairman of the House public safety committee, has a big idea.
He wants the state to buy the underutilized Federal Detention Center in Honolulu, a plan he thinks
could save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and provide a quick fix to Hawaii’s overcrowded
corrections system.
Hawaii’s eight jails and prisons are jammed to the rafters, forcing the state to ship more than 1,400
people to the mainland to a private for-profit prison. Meanwhile, the Federal Detention Center, a
modern high-rise built in 2001 near Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, houses only 400 prisoners
but has capacity for 1,200, according to Takayama.
View full article

February 7, 2019

‘It’s A Crime’: Will Legislature Fix Hawaii’s Broken Bail System?

Many people sit in jail awaiting trial on fairly minor offenses simply because they can’t afford to get out.
This may be the year that changes.
View full article

February 6, 2019

Addressing Drug Addiction Key In Improving Safety

Nothing prepares you for the shock of returning home to find that your private space has been invaded,
plundered and left in disarray. That happened to me and two other nearby Pearl City homes on the same November weekday...
View full article

by Kevin Dayton
State Rep. Gregg Takayama hopes to convince the federal government to sell the
Federal Detention Center next to the Honolulu airport to the state to use as a
replacement for the aging Oahu Community Correctional Center in Kalihi.
“It’s in good shape, and it’s in good shape largely because it’s mostly unused,”
Takayama said. The website for the facility indicates it is holding about 400
prisoners today, he said, but about 160 of those are Hawaii inmates who are being
held in leased beds at FDC because there is no room for them in OCCC.
“In view of that, and with Congress passing a federal prison reform act that is
expected to reduce the population of their prisons and jails, I think it makes
sense for us to put money on the table and offer to buy it,” Takayama said.
View full article

January 24, 2019

Bill Proposes Purchase of Honolulu Federal Jail

“The federal jail is very under-utilized, while OCCC is tremendously overcrowded
and in need of replacement,” said Rep. Takayama, chair of the House Public Safety,
Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.
View full article

February 23, 2018

The Conversation: Options for Addressing School Shootings

February 23, 2018
By Chris Vandercook & Catherine Cruz
After last week’s mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida students,
parents, and officials across the nation are all proposing steps to prevent future
incidents. What should be done here in Hawaii? Our panel addresses school safety
and some of the proposals improving security.
Link to panel discussionFebruary 12, 2018

Rep. Takayama: Takeaway Lessons from the False Missile Alert

January 19, 2018

Hearing on False Missile Alert - Hawaii News Now Jan 19, 2018

January 3, 2018

Kupuna Caregivers Program A Shining Example - Civil Beat

Credit Hawaii leaders for creating social infrastructure for our future.
This first-in-the-nation program has captured the attention of national experts and media, with the New York Times, MSNBC
and the Washington Examiner running lengthy pieces on the new initiative.
The national praise for the program tends to focus on the innovative approach to supporting family caregivers and kupuna,
but it is also worth celebrating the strategic coordination from Hawaii’s legislative leaders as a case study in making progressive change.
View full article

December 19, 2017

One of the smartest ideas for balancing work and life just went into effect in Hawaii

Hawaii, the US state with the longest life expectancy, is the first in the US to implement this type of
direct subsidy for long-term care. Germany, Austria, Japan, and a handful of other industrialized nations
have developed universal insurance programs for their elderly’s long-term care.
View full article

After 21 years of trying to pass long-term care legislation, Hawaii this summer became the first state to pass a bill that
gives funding to caregivers who assist family members who have become disabled as they age or have cognitive challenges as
their brains succumb to dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
View full article

“The reason that I think it’s important to build a drug rehabilitation facility as part of OCCC is that, in the long term,
it will help reduce recidivism rate of our drug offenders,” [Representative] Takayama said. “Right now, they’re not able to
access drug treatment programs because of limitations in program space, and this will enable us to move forward in a constructive way.”
View full article

“These measures are aimed at helping seniors with some disabilities live out their lives at home,
with help from State-sponsored services and family caregivers. The vast majority of elderly prefer to
age in place instead of entering a nursing home,” said Rep. Gregg Takayama, House co-convenor of the
Kupuna Caucus (Pearl City, Waimalu, Pacific Palisades).
View full articleFebruary 24, 2017

Task force and legislators rethink new jail

A 13-member task force led by Hawaii Supreme Court Associate Justice Michael Wilson is
recommending that the state hold off on its plans for building a new jail on Oahu until
the group can issue a final report at the end of the year that provides a road map for
reforming the state’s correctional system.
View full article

2017 Youth Capitol Commentary

July 19, 2016

Star Advertiser 2016 Interview

I’ve served my community by getting on my knees to plant grass for a new playground while also fighting
for more than $30 million for improvements to Pearl City schools in the past four years. Our district needs
someone willing to invest “sweat equity” and be an effective advocate.
View full articleOctober 17, 2014

Hawai'i Herald : Gregg Takayama

It was a smooth transition from covering politics to becoming a politician for
freshman State Representative Gregg Takayama.
“Listening and communicating to people is what journalism is all about,
and it’s essential for elected officials,” said Representative Takayama,
a former award-winning news reporter at KHON-TV and former aide to the late U.S.
Senator Dan Inouye.View full article

March 31, 2014

Takayama: From Observer to Participant

MIDWEEK- Gregg Takayama seems both too old and too traveled to be a freshman legislator. Yet there he was last week, sitting in the State House on opening day, beginning his second session as the representative from Oahu's 34th District (Pearl City, Waimalu, Pacific Palisades).

He is, in fact, 61 years old, and he has indeed been around.

I first met Takayama when he was a young reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, I a newly minted assistant professor at the University of Hawaii-West Oahu.

A New Hat for Gregg Takayama

For virtually every day of his life since graduating from college in 1974, Takayama either covered
government as a reporter, or worked as a spokesperson for some of the state's most visible government
leaders. Last fall, he decided to pursue a different view of government - from the inside -
working on behalf of his neighbors in the newly created state House District 34 (Pearl City,
Waimalu and Pacific Palisades) and articulating his own concerns.
View full article

March 20, 2013

Ground is Broken for New Aiea Public Library

Hawaii News Now - A groundbreaking ceremony for the new, replacement Aiea Public Library was conducted on the site of the former Aiea Sugar Mill on Saturday, March 16. Governer Neil Abercrombie and other invited dignitaries attended and participated in the ceremony.View full article

March 1, 2013

Bill: Quit Feeding Pigeons, They're Crapping My Style

(Hawaii Civil Beat) You may no longer be able to feed that flock of feral fowl without fear of a fine in Hawaii. Lawmakers are getting serious about cracking down on pigeon poop.

House Bill 619, introduced by Rep. Gregg Takayama, would make it illegal to feed feral birds on your own property to the extent that they cause a nuisance on another property.

Older Isle Residents Unprepared for Cost of Long-Term Care

(AARP Hawaii) A new survey exploring the views of older Hawaii residents on long-term care shows that nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of people 50+ are not confident they can afford to pay for one year in a nursing home. Fifty percent of respondents say they are not confident they can afford the cost of care for one year in their home. The survey of 800 residents statewide-more than half of whom reported annual household income of less than $75,000-is the latest evidence that many residents are unsure how they'll pay for their care needs as they get older.View full article

February 11, 2013

Gregg Takayama: Bird Feeding Bill

(Hawaii News Now) - Representative Gregg Takayama introduced a bill that would allow people to sue each other for injury or property damage from the birds... more specifically the poop. He joined Steve on Sunrise to discuss it in more detail.Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

February 11, 2013

Lawmakers amending bill to ban pigeon feeding

A bill to make it illegal to feed feral pigeons is heading through the Hawaii Legislature, although not everyone agrees on the dirty details.

Neighbors living near people who feed pigeons say they are being held hostage by the birds and their droppings. Now a group from Pearl City has teamed up and is trying to help write the law.
View full article

February 11, 2013

Pigeon problem pits neighbor against neighbor in Pearl City

Residents say two nearby homeowners won't stop feeding, what's become, a daily flock of pigeons. It's a chronic, decade-long problem that they've tried to solve on their own - to no avail. The neighbors in question say: all these complaints - are for the birds.
View full article

February 11, 2013

Hawaiian panel OKs public LTC plan bill

Lawmakers in Hawaii are moving ahead with a public long-term care insurance (LTCI) program study measure.

Members of the Hawaii House Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee voted 10-0 Wednesday to approve an amended version of House Bill 1.

If passed as written, H.B. 1 would require the director of the state's executive officer of aging to hire actuaries to analyze the idea of setting up a "limited, mandatory, public" LTCI program for Hawaii's workers, according to the state legislative tracking system.
View full article

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